1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the treatment of patients having autoimmune diseases and allergy (hypersensitivity of immediate type). More particularly, the invention provides a method and apparatus for treating such patients by continuously removing interferon from the blood of a patient being treated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In 1974, an article was published setting forth the hypothesis that one of the mechanisms of development of autoimmune diseases and allergy is hyperproduction of interferon in a patient's body. The article also suggested treating autoimmune diseases and allergy with anti-interferon immunoglobulin (Nature, 247:551, Feb. 22, 1974).
In 1975, interferon was discovered in the blood of patients with autoimmune diseases and allergy, and preliminary positive results were obtained in treatment of autoimmune and allergic diseases with anti-interferon immunoglobulin ("The Probable Role of Interferon in Allergy", Annals of Allergy, 35:356, December, 1975).
It is also known from British Pat. No. 1,562,546, entitled "Removing Specific Factors From Blood", to provide an apparatus for continuously acting, externally of the body, on blood circulating from the body. The apparatus described in this reference includes an input tube connected to an artery and an outlet tube connected to a vein of a patient. Blood withdrawn from the patient is passed through a filter membrane which separates plasma from blood cells. The blood cells are returned directly to the patient, while heparin is injected into the plasma. The plasma is then passed through an absorber that removes specific factors from the heparinized plasma. The treated plasma is then mixed with the blood cells and returned to the body. This reference describes the removal of many different specific factors from the blood; however, no mention is made of the possibility of using the apparatus to remove interferon from patents having autoimmune and allergic diseases. Further, no mention is made of the treatment of allergic diseases. There does not appear to be any recognition in the British reference that allergic diseases can be successfully treated with the apparatus.
An article entitled "Preparation of Monospecific Immunoglobulin Against Human Leukocytic Interferon" was published in the April, 1979, Bulletin Of Experimental Biology And Medicine. This article was primarily directed to the preparation of anti-interferon immunoglobulin for its further use as a substance for the treatment of various allergic and autoimmune diseases.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,071, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, describes a process for the purification of preparations having an interferon type activity. The process described in this patent involves contacting a solution containing products with interferon-type activity with an absorbent whose configuration permits the interferon to be retained in a selective manner. The interferon is then separated from the absorbent in a subsequent process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,261, entitled "Method For The Purification Of Interferon Using Porous Glass Beads", the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, describes the purification of an aqueous interferon solution by subjecting the solution to chromatography on porous glass beads. The interferon is subsequently eluted from the beads at an acidic pH.
Several features distinguish the present invention from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,172,071 and 4,168,261. For instance, both of the references describe techniques for purifying interferon carried in a supernatant liquid of a tissue culture. Neither of the references is directed to the removal of interferon from blood, plasma, or plasma with leukocytes. Also, neither of the references is directed to the removal of interferon for the purposes of treating autoimmune diseases and allergy (hypersensitivity of the immediate type).